Case-packing machine.



No. 893,888. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

T. J. WRAMPBLMBIER. CASE PACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25,1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Ill

Fig.1.

//// INVENTOR.

63 WITNESSES: E

ATTORNEY.

No. 893,888. I PATENTED JULY 21,1908.

T. J. WR-AMPELMEIER.. UASE PACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25,1907. v

4 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

WITNESSES: I l

ATTORNEY.

' N0. 898,888.- PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. I

T. J. WRAMPBLMEIER.

CASE PACKING MACHINE.

A PPLIOATION FILED MAY 25,1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

F1 5 N. 2? E i 1 "I H I i l HI mm, W all: I F 59 40 .lnlml r:- Q7 A 7 I I a v Q 50 j Il 7 M J pl I W- Wfm if g I Q2; MI] I n a 7 72/ p H i@ if lllll lllll WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR I l BY A TTORNE Y No. 893,888. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. T. J. WRAMPBLMEIER. CASE PACKINGMAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25.1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

AITTORNEY R m m m UNITE STATS THEODORE J. WRAMPELMEIER, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

CASE-PACKING MACHINE.

To all whom'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE J. WRAM- PELMEIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Case- Packing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of machines for packing substances into cases, and it consists in the novel packing machine, which I shall, hereinafter, fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for packing granular, pulverulent or semi-plastic substances into cases, by means of rammers, and is more particularly designed for packing cases with dynamite or other explosive substances.

The machine is also adapted for packing other materials, as, for example, coffee, cocoa, etc., into cases; but is not adapted nor intended for loading ammunition, or where more than one kind of substance is to be placed in the case.

In the following description, the term shell is used to include any suitable form of case.

In other machines, whereby substances of the kind referred to, that is, one kind of substance, are rammed or packed into cases or shells by means of rammers, any one shell is usually packed by one particular rammer, until the shell is full. In my machine the shell is not filled by one and the same rammer, but by a number of rammers; and the material is delivered in bulk to the surface of the carrier or table, and is thence supplied from said surface, in partial charges as needed, to the successive cases. The first rammer pushes in a certain portion of the substance the shell or case then passes to the second rammer which pushes in another portion of the same substance it then passes to the third rammer, where it receives a third portion, and so on, until the shell or case is filled. The shell is then closed at the top and is removed or pushed out of the machine. All the rammers are operated by the same motive power, and each stroke thereof will' pack a certain portion of the substance into as many shells as there are packing rammers in the machine.

At one point in the machine an empty shell is inserted at each stroke, and, at the same time, at another point, 'a filled shell is ejected. Or the machine may be so built Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May .25,

Patented July 21, 1908.

1907. Serial No. 375,647.

' that at each stroke, two or more empty shells are inserted and as many filled shells ejected.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made for a more complete understanding of my invention, Figure 1 is an ele vation of my case-packing machine. Fi 2 is a vertical, sectional elevation, enlarged, omitting the ower connections above the table. Fig. 3 1s a plan of the table, With the parts immediately above it. Fig. 4 is a plan of the case or shell feeder. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan of a table, showing a double arrangement of shell entrances and discharges. planview of the case or shell crimper. Fig. 8 is a detail showing the form of cam 52 for operating the crimper. Fig. 9 is a detail showing the form of cam 39 for operating the stirring spider E. Fig. 10 is a detai showing the means for intermittently rotating the table A. Fig. 11 is a detail showing the form of cam 53 for operating the case or shell-plunger I.

A is a circular table, consisting of an upper part a, on the surface of which the material to be packed is placed, and a lower part a, which serves as a carrier for the shells.

The upper part of the table is provided with a rim 1; and just inside this rim there are a number of holes, in each of which is inserted a short nipple 2, Fig. 2, which is slightly tapering on the outside and is a little smaller in diameter than the shell to be packed, so that the shell when pressed up onto the nipple will be temporarily held and steadied.

The lower part of the table A is provided with tubes 3, situated immediately underneath the nipples 2. These tubes serve to hold the shells while they are being packed.

The table A is so mounted, on a track, or wheels, or central shaft, that it can be rotated. I prefer the central shaft 4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. For the purpose of additional steadiness, I use also the track 5, Fig. 2. The shaft 4 is revolved by means of a gear 6 attached to it. The table is not rotated continuously, but intermittently, and then each time only a portion of a revolution.

B is a shaft, to which are attached the plows or distributors 7. This shaft is revolved continuously While the machine is in operation, by means of the miter-gears 8, shaft 9, pulley 10, and belt 11, Fig. 2, passing over pulley 12, Fig. 1, on the main shaft 14 Fig. 7 is a detail of the machine. The distributors 7, on account of their shape, shown in Fig. 3, project the material to the periphery of the table, over the nipples 2.

C is a circular cross head, which carries the rammers D, and is moved up and down by means of the crank 13, attached to the main driving shaft 14 of the machine, said crank having connections 13 to the crosshead.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the rammers D which are in positions designated by 151 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 are used to ram the material into the shells; one, at position 25 to push the filled shell ofif the nipple 2 one, at position 28 to fix the previously made crimp one, at position 29 to eject the finished cartridge. There are no rammers at positions 26, 27 and 30. The rammers D are all carried by the cross-head C. The rammer at position is rigidly fastened to the cross-head C. Those at positions 16 to 24 are not fastened rigidly to said cross-head, but are fitted to slide therein. These slidable rammers are provided with the collars 31 above the cross-head, and with collars 32 below it, at successively varying distances, and with rubber bumpers 33. As the cross-head goes up, all the rammers are raised, that at 15 by being fastened to it, and the others by means of the collars 31,.so that the lower ends of all the rammers will be at the same level. As the cross-head goes down, the rammer at position 15 will be carried down the full stroke, but the rammers at positions 16 to 24 will have varying lengths of strokes, as controlled by the positions of the collars 32. Therefore, when the cross-head is down, which is while material is being packed, the lower end of each rammer will be a little higher than that of the preceding one, as limited by the positions of the collars 32. The lower end of the rammer at 15 will be near the bottom of the shell, and the lower end of that at 24 will be at the level to which the shell is to be filled, and the intermediate ones will be at different levels, each in its own shell.

E is a spider supported loosely, by means of the collar 34, on the shaft B. It carries the frame 35, Fig. 3, which, in turn, carries the agitating stirrers 36, Figs. 2 and 3. To the spider E is attached an arm 37, and this is given a reciprocating motion, through the rod 38, by means of the cam 39 attached to the shaft 50. The stirrers 36 are thus made to agitate the material collecting between the rammers, and to assist in feeding the material into the shells. The cam 39 is so arranged that these stirrers move only while the rammers are above the table.

F, Figs. 3 and 2, is a stationary ring held in place around the top of rim 1, by the arms 40, Fig. 2. It is provided with holes through which the rammers pass, and which act as guides for the rammers. It also has the slots 41, Fig. 3, through which the agitating stirrers 36 pass and in which they play. To this ring may be attached the inner shield 42, Fig. 2, which extends around just inside the rammers and which aids in regulating the feed of material to the nipples 2. This shield is, however, not essential.

Gris a stationary shield, Figs. 2 and 3, extending part way around, as shown in Fig. 3. It reaches down to the top of the table A, and serves to keep the material away from the nipple holes while the latter, as at positions to 30, are not being used for filling the shells. This shield may be of leather, rubber or wood; or it may be a block of wood of required shape with holes bored through it, in Fig. 3, at positions 25, 28, 29 and 30, for the rammers to pass through. I do not, how ever, limit myself to this particular method of keeping the material from the holes where they are not being used for filling shells.

H, Figs. 1 and 2, is a stationary ledge or shelf extending circularly under the series of tubes 3. On this the shells rest while they are being filled, and on it they slide as the table A is rotated. It is perforated at two points-at position 30, Fig. 3, for admission of the empty shells from below, and at posi tion 29 for the ejection of the finished cara tridge. It is not in the same level all the way around, but that portion between the positions 24 and 30 is lower than the other portion of said shelf. The reason for this is that when a shell has been filled and reaches the position 25 it can be pushed oil the nipple 2, and can be crimped.

I, Fig. 1, is a piston or plunger which serves to push the empty shells up into the tubes 3 and onto the nipples 2. it is operated by means of the lever 43 and connection 43 to a cam 53.

J is the crimper. Fig. 7 shows the top of the shell S in position to be crimped. As the crimper moves forward, the first fold is made by the arm 44. It then moves backward, and the second and third folds are made by the parts 45 and 46. As the table moves, the fourth fold is made by the part 47, and the crimper moves back to its original position. The crimper is operated by means of the lever 48, Fig. 2, and rod 49 actuated by the cam 52. I do not limit myself to this particular form of crimper, or to these detailed methods of operating it.

K is a case or box which may be filled with oil. It contains the cams and gears for operating the table A, the shell-feeder I and the crimper J, and all of these are operated by the vertical shaft 50, which is itself connected with the main shaft 14, by the miter gears 51. The shaft 50 revolves once for each revolu tion of the main shaft 14, and, hence, once for each stroke of the cross-head C and rammers D.

To shaft are attached the cam 52 for operating the crimper J, and the cam 53 for operating the shell-plunger I. Fig. 8 shows the form of cam 52 and Fig. 11 the form of cam 53.

The table A is only rotated intermittently and then only for part of a revolution. For example, if the table has sixteen holes, it will be rotated only revolution for each stroke of the cross-head, and, furthermore, this partial rotation must take place only during a certain portion of the stroke, that is, while the rammers D are out of the nipples 2. i To accomplish this I use the cam 54 to which is attached the pinion 55 which engages with the gear 6 attached to the shaft 4, Fig. 2. The cam 54 is actuated by the pin or roller 56 attached to the continuously revolving disk 57 which is attached to shaft 50. As shown in Fig. 10, one revolution of the disk 57 will cause one-quarter revolution of the pinion 55, and, by proper arrangement of the gear 6, the desired fractional revolution of table A is obtained.

Attached to the disk 57.is another disk 58 which engages with the concave circular faces of cam 54, shown at 59, while the pin 56 is not moving the cam 54. The object of this is to prevent any rotation of table A, except when desired. To allow for the passage of the cam 54, a segment is cut out of the disk 58 as shown at 60. The shaft 50 also has attached to it the cam 39 which actuates the spider E. Fig. 9 shows the plan of the cam 89. I do not, however, limit myself to these v particular methods of obtaining the desired movements.

L, Fig. 1, is the magazine for empty shells S. It is preferably double, that is, holds two rows of shells, as shown in Fig. 4. It is pivoted at the point 61, so that while shells are being fed into the machine from one part, the other part may be filled. Under each part of the magazine there is a cord 62 or tape, on which the shells may rest. This cord passes over a sheave 63, and has a weight 64 attached to it. At the other end there is an upright follower 65 which pushes against the last shell in the magazine. After a shell has been pushed up into a tube 3, and the plunger I has come down, the pressure of the follower 65 forces the whole row of shells forward, and thus places a new shell in position, as indicated by 66, ready to be driven up by the plunger I.

M is a conveyer to feed the material to bepacked onto the table A through the hoper 67. p N, is a projecting shelf extending around the machine, to catch any material that may be spilled.

To 0 erate the machine, the shell-maga-- zine L is filled, and the machine started. A shell is pushed up by the plunger I into a tube 3, at position 30, Fig. 3. During the upstroke of cross-head O, and after the ram- Iners D leave the nipples 2, the table rotates, so that this first shell takes the position 15. At the second stroke, the second shell is inserted at 30; then the table moves again, until the first shell is at position 16, and the second shell, at position 15. At the third stroke, the third shell is inserted at 30; then the table moves until the first shell is at 17, the second shell at 16 and the third shell' at 15 and so on, until the first shell is at position 24. The material is then fed to the surface of table A either by hand or by start ing the conveyer M. The distributers 7 project it toward the periphery of the table, and, thereafter, with each stroke, a certain amount of material is packed into each shell. During the partial rotation of the table, the material lodged between the rammers is agitated by the stirrers. With each stroke a new shell is inserted at 30, and all shells are moved forwardone step. Taking one particular shell, at 15 it receives its first charge, the rammer at this position reaching almost to the bottom of the shell at the next stroke,

it is at 16 and receives its second charge, the

rammer at this position being arranged so that it Wlll not reach down as far as the ram- 'mer at 15; at the next stroke, it is at 17 and receives its third charge, the rammer at this position not reaching down as far as the one at 16; and so on, until at position 24 it receives its last charge, the rammer at this position being so adjusted that it will press the material into the shell to the desired height. At position 25 it is protected from receiving more material by the shield G. Here the ledge H on which the shell slides is lower, and the rammer simply serves to push the shell off the nipple 2. Position 26 is not in use, as this space is required for the feed hopper 67. At position 27 the shell is crimped; at 28, a rammer fixes the crimp at 29, a rammer pushes the finished shell out through a hole in the bottom ledge H into a receptacle or onto a belt-conveyer. Thereafter, with each revolution of the main shaft, or each stroke of the cross-head, an empty shell is inserted and a finished shell is ejected.

In the above, I have described a machine that will receive one empty shell and discharge one finished shell at each stroke. By having the table A of greater diameter and with more holes, two or more places for inserting shells, and as many for discharging finished shells and a plurality of shields and crimping devices, are possible, so that at each stroke, two or more finished shells may be ejected. Fig. 6, in which the parts are similarly indicated as in the other figures, shows a plan view of a table arranged for a double discharge, of the character just mentioned.

I do not limit myself to the particular form of shell-feeder herein shown, nor to a hopper or conveyer for supplying the material to the table top, as other suitable forms and devices for these purposes may be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a case-packing machine, the combi nation of a carrier adapted to receive upon its surface the material to be packed and having a series of case-holders arranged to carry the cases below its surface; a series of reciprocative rammers; means for moving the carrier to place each case successively in line with successive rammers means for supplying the material from the carrier surface to each case in successive partial charges to be pressed by successive rammers; and means for limiting the penetration of the rammers into their alined cases to successively shorter distances.

2. In a case-packing machine, the combination of a table adapted to receive upon its surface the material to be packed and having an annular series of case-holders arranged to carry the cases below its surface; an annular series of reciprocative rammers; means for imparting to said table an intermittent partial rotation to carry each case successively into line with successive rammers; means for supplying the material from the table surface to each case in successive partial charges to be pressed by successive rammers; and means for limiting the penetration of the rammers into their alined cases to successively shorter distances.

3. In a case-packing machine, the combination of a table adapted to receive upon its surface the material to be packed and having an annular series of case-holders arranged to carry the cases below its surface; an annular series of reciprocative rammers; means for imparting to said table an intermittent partial rotation to carry each case successively into line with successive rammers; distributers to move over the surface of the table for supplying the material from the table surface to each case in successive partial charges to be pressed by successive rammers; and means for limiting the penetration of the rammers into their alined cases to successively shorter distances.

l. In a case-packing machine, the combi nation of a table adapted to receive upon its surface the material to be packed and having an annular series of case holders arranged to carry the cases below its surface; an annular series of reciprocative rammers; means for imparting to said table an intermittent partial rotation to carry each case successively into line with successive rammers distributers to move over the sur face of the table for supplying the material from the table surface to each case in successive partial charges to be pressed by successive rammers; stirrers to move over the table surface for agitating the material thereon at points between the cases; and means for limiting the penetration of the rammers into their alined cases to successively shorter distances.

5. In a case-packing machine, the combination of a movable material carrying table having an annular series of case holders arranged to carry the cases below its surface; means for introducing cases successively to said holders; an annular series of reciprocative rammers; means for imparting to said table an intermittent partial rotation to carry each case successively into line with successive rammers; means for first feeding the material to the surface of the table; distributers to move over the table surface for then supplying said material from said surface to each case in successive partial charges to be pressed by successive rammers means for limiting the penetration of the rammers into their alined cases to successively shorter distances; means for closing the tops of the filled cases successively; a rammer for ejecting successively the closed cases; and a means, over the table, arranged to prevent the supply of material to the cases at their positions of introduction, closing and discharge.

6. In a case-packing machine, the combination of an intermittently rotatable table; an annular series of case-holders therein; a nipple attached to the table above each caseholde-r; a reciprocative plunger to force the cases into successive holders from below, upwardly and onto the nipples; an annular ledge upon which the cases rest, said ledge having a depressed portion; a series of rammers, to pack the material into the cases; and a rammer to force the filled cases downwardly from the nipples at the depressed portion of the supporting ledge.

7. In a case-packing machine, the combination of a carrier, having a series of caseholders; a series of reciprocative rammers; means for moving the carrier to place each case successively in line with successive rammers; means for supplying each case with successive partial charges to be pressed by successive rammers; and means for limiting the penetration of the rammers into their alined cases to successively shorter distances, consisting of a cross-head in which the ram mers are slidably mounted, and a pair of stops on each rammer to engage the cross-head,

said stops being separated by successively i increasing distances.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODORE J. WRAMIELMEIER.

\Vitnesses GEO. W. Boo'rn, D. B. RICHARDS. 

